


Book 1: Fallout

by RavenBloom, RSBCS, Trace_Carter



Series: Avatar: Journey of the Outcasts [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Future Fic, Gen, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26036896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenBloom/pseuds/RavenBloom, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RSBCS/pseuds/RSBCS, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trace_Carter/pseuds/Trace_Carter
Summary: Fire, Air, Water, Earth.Years ago, my predecessor, Avatar Korra, fought against some of the most dangerous people in the world, in order to protect Republic City. And the one before her, Avatar Aang, fought the Fire Nation to bring an end to the 100 Year War. Both made huge changes for the world. Some for the better, some for the worse. The people still struggle with these changes made years on, including the presence of the spirits.But no Avatar is eternal, even if their deeds are immortalized in history. Like all others, Avatar Korra passed on from this world. And now, a new Avatar has arrived. And yet, the greatest journey of my age yet follows a different group of people, that shall bring balance to the world.
Series: Avatar: Journey of the Outcasts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889965
Kudos: 2





	Book 1: Fallout

**Author's Note:**

> Trace Carter: Hello all, here's an Avatar fic collaborated by three gifted fans.
> 
> RSBCS: I am proud to be making a story with two brilliant creators whom I deeply respect, and am always eager to work alongside.
> 
> RavenBloom: I'm very happy to be writing this collab fic with two very talented writers and good friends of mine. I hope you enjoy the story

“Stop right there! Halt!” The voices of the Republic City police shouted as they chased down an individual down the market street. The figure’s red dress, which looked more for combat and self-defense than style, brightly contrasted against the city’s sleeker grey and bright yellow construction. People moved out of the way as the figure ran with three officers in pursuit behind her.

“Stop her!” one of the officers ordered a merchant up ahead, who was organizing a stall full of cabbages. 

The girl, despite the man being startled, managed to vault over the stall. 

Sadly, the cops were forced to use their earth-bending to move the stall out of the way, scattering cabbages all over the place.

“My cabbages!” the merchant exclaimed as he watched the aggressors take off. 

Wanting to lose the police, the girl darted into a tight alley in hopes of slowing the men down. 

The officers were undeterred, running after her in single file. They saw her dart down a corner, and followed only to come to a dead-end. They looked all around, but couldn’t find where the girl had disappeared to. They decided to fall back and go around the long way, calling in air surveillance to spot the girl. 

What they didn’t notice was she had quickly used the wall and a hanging pipe to rest on a ledge overlooking the dead end she took. She steadied her breath, and relaxed as she rested against the wall, before checking the small bag on her back. She found a few supplies she snuck away with inside: a Sato shock glove, a couple bundles of yuan, a passport with a sigil of a prominent family, and flint. Satisfied she still had everything, the girl sat down and looked out to see the sight of Republic City.

In the years since Avatar Korra had first arrived in it, the city had grown exponentially: buildings climbing higher and higher until they touched the clouds, and more and more buildings beginning to crowd the shores of Yue Bay. If the capital city had been large before, it was positively outshined by the way it was now, that was for sure. Some of the buildings even looked to be made of glass, reflecting light around the city.

Freeways spanned the entire city, weaving over and under and around all the new buildings and structures of the city, each filled with newly improved Sato mobiles that were smaller and more aerodynamic than the initial models. Not to mention several made less noise as they drove, while others were noisier from all the honks made by aggressive drivers in rush hour. There were even street lights on surface streets to control the flow, with the largest intersection being near the park with pedestrians crossing diagonal as well as straight across. 

The ever-famous Pro-bending arena itself was bigger and grander than in its inception. Bending tournaments for various leagues took place there on a more regular basis, ranging from novice to professional. It now could house tens of thousands of spectators, film crews to record for moving telegraphs, and even a few extra training gyms for the different levels. And every night, anyone could see the skylights beaming to the stars to announce another night of Pro-bending competitions.

Of course, even though many things had changed in the half-century since then, many things had stayed the same, such as the dedications to Avatars Aang and Korra in the city and the bay. Avatar Aang’s monument stood tall, like a guardian over the steadily growing city, and the deceased Avatar was a constant presence, reminding all who saw it of the grand struggle that led to the peace across the world. Downtown Republic City, despite having been updated with a more modern, contemporary appearance, still contained the melting pot of traditional cultures from the various corners of the world, and despite the stark differences between them, the different cultures seemed to blend together effortlessly, just as the inhabitants had come together under the banner of citizens.

The girl looked on at all of this, but her glee didn’t last long at seeing such an expansive city. It just reminded her more and more of what she was trying to get away from. She slipped her bag back onto her back, looked below for signs of any police or civilian, then worked her way down using nearby piping until she returned to the streets. Once there, she made her way towards the border to leave Republic City behind.

The black-haired girl hadn’t taken more than a few steps away from the alley she’d come from when a young man’s voice spoke up from behind her. 

“So, what’s a girl like you doing all alone in _this_ part of town?” He sounded quite bemused. 

The girl stopped abruptly to look at the person that addressed her, her nerves heightened by the new presence. She then responded, “Who are you? Did my mother send bounty hunters now?”

The young man behind her had the distinct dark skin of the Water Tribe, with short, spiked brown hair and ice blue eyes, standing about a head taller than her, though it was hard to estimate at a distance. He looked quite disheveled and scruffy, like a street rat, though he also looked too _clean_ to actually be one. “I’ve not an idea what you’re talking about,” he replied. “But if you’ve got bounty hunters after you, you’ve gotta be in hot water, eh?”

The girl shouldered her bag, and replied coldly, “What would you know about it? What if I was just trying to get away from someone? What if I was the victim?”

He raised his hands up into the air in a show of surrender, though considering he might have been a bender, it frankly wasn’t much assurance that he wasn’t armed. “Jeez, testy much. I’m just curious, anyway. You don’t see many girls running around unaccompanied in this part of Republic City. You’re heading for the border, right?”

Looking back at him, the girl returned, “Maybe. Are you going to snitch on me? Collect a reward from the police?”

“Tch, those incompetents?” He snorted. “C’mon, if you’ve lived a few days on the street, you’d know that they’re incapable of doing anything beyond the bare minimum. Whatever training they’re doing in the academy; it clearly isn’t enough.”

This time, the girl fully turned to face the guy, her feather hair clip coming into view on the side of her head. “You aren’t turning me in?” she asked hesitantly.

He shook his head, moving a little from where he was leaning against the wall. “I’ve been on the streets for long enough myself. They’re…” he grimaced, looking aside, “not the nicest to street rats, y’know? Besides, if you’re running from bounty hunters, you’ve got enough trouble to deal with already without the cops on your back.”

The girl looked around to see if anyone was watching, before deflating and relaxing her stance. “I guess, if you have problems with authority, I can trust you,” she told him. Then she held out her hand and introduced, “My name’s Sakura. What’s yours?”

“The name’s Shan,” he said, walking closer and pausing for a moment before going in for an awkward handshake. “Shan Hu. But Shan’s good. Nice to meet you, Sakura.”

“Shan…” Sakura muttered once they finished shaking hands. “I think I’ve heard of that name before. But from where?” She tapped her chin in thought as she tried to recall if Shan’s name rang any bells.

“You might have run into some of my buddies around the city,” Shan said, pulling back and shoving his hands into the pockets of his distressed jeans. “They can sometimes have a pretty big mouth, though I guess Yin would say the same about me too.” He snorted a little. “She’d be so mad if she heard me say that.”

“Is Yin like your girlfriend or something?” Sakura asked. “Or maybe a sister? I could understand either one not liking you speaking so lightly of her, nor so ill. I can’t imagine what my mom would think if I started bad mouthing… _her_.” The way she said ‘her’ with such emphasis was curious. Like a mix between reverence and disgust. Though for Sakura, she wasn’t sure how to think to address this person beyond just her distaste that she shares with her mother.

Shan just raised a brow at her. “Nah, Yin’s more like my annoying little sister. Don’t tell her I said that -- she already has enough hanging over my head as it is.” He paused briefly. “... bad blood between you two?” he asked, shifting the topic from him to her.

Before Sakura could answer, they heard someone weaselly call out, “Well look who it is. The little stray wandering from home.” And from an alley came three goons that could be pegged for triad goons. 

Their appearance made Sakura fearful, and she hid behind Shan as they appeared. 

“Ooh! And it looks like she snagged a bodyguard,” the leader with his greased-brown hair said with a drawl. “I’m shaking in my boots. This’ll be too easy.”

“Why don’t you speak for yourself?” Shan asked lazily, not seeming intimidated in the slightest. His body language was quite relaxed -- with the slight exception of a tension in his shoulders that was visible to Sakura from how close she was to him. “You really don’t want to be here right now, you know. A little gust of wind could overhear, and your life would be a _lot_ harder than it already is.”

The three goons laughed at his threat, undeterred even by the tone of his voice. 

“Now listen here, little man,” the leader addressed, “that little girl is a runaway from a very worried mother. The police are offering a pretty big wad of cash for her return. We just want to do our civil service and bring a family back together. Is that so wrong?”

“It is if I don’t want to see that woman again!” Sakura scolded from behind Shan. 

One of the goons kicked the earth, and a slab of rock separated Sakura from Shan before the other goon made his move.

Shan acted quickly, and his arm lashed out into the air. Water vapor from the air around them condensed into a thin whip of water, and the momentum of his arm cracked the whip across the earthbender’s face with a sharp, resounding ‘crack!’.

The earthbender was thrown off, and scowled at Shan for his interference. So he angled his body down as he struck to create a rolling path of earth that rumbled toward the waterbender with haste.

Just as the wave of earth grew close to Shan, a figure in black leapt down and thrust his arms forward as he slammed his feet into a solid stance as the wave of earth parted around them, leaving Shan and Sakura untouched, before the newcomer bent a column of stone up in front of them and split into discs that he sent at the Triad members with several punches and kicks.

The three goons scattered when he conducted this attack, dodging the discs of earth. 

The earthbender was going to make another attempt alongside the firebender when said firebender member’s flames cut short as his body was racked with electricity. He collapsed to reveal Sakura behind him with a still crackling Sato glove. The earthbender stood agape, before he was forced to dodge another earth strike from the newcomer.

“And who are you supposed to be, rocks for arms?” the leader questioned, pointing out the arm made of earth the guy had.

“You can call me Fai,” said the man calmly as he used his left arm to brush a stray strand of his black hair out of his eyes. His skin tone was a bit more tanned than what you’d normally see out of an Earthbender and indeed, his right arm seemed to be made of rocks and dirt.

“Less talk, more action!” Shan called, having collected the water whip back towards him, the liquid coiling as if a spring around his left wrist, ready to snap out again to be used as a weapon. “Hey, Sakura, think you can hold your own with us? If you need to, you can still take cover before this gets nasty,” he warned, though his blue eyes briefly glanced back, wary, at the glove she wore.

Coiling her gloved hand into a fist, Sakura replied, “I can handle myself. Those guys just startled me before. And right now, I need to send a message.” 

The earthbender changed targets, and went for her while the leader squared off against Shan and the one known as Fai. 

As Sakura flipped over the earthbender’s block of earth he launched at her, she quickly got in close and shocked him too. With him rendered unconscious, Sakura looked back to the others.

“You know, I really hate guys like you,” the leader said with a growl. “Always gotta get in our way. You do know you are abetting a criminal?”

“The feeling is mutual,” said Fai as he adjusted his footing and bent the ground under the leader’s feet into a pool of soft mud.

The leader, surprised by this, ended up slipping and landing on his back. But then, he opened his pouch to pool water onto it, then mud-bent it at the group’s faces to blind them. “Not so tough now, huh?” he taunted with glee.

Before the mud could even get to the trio, though, a harsh gust of wind shot up in front of them, directing the mud upwards and in a spiral back onto the trio of gangster’s heads. Some still managed to get through, splattering towards Fai, Shan and Sakura, but it was hardly enough to do them any harm. 

“‘Abetting a criminal’? I didn’t know you cared that much about the law,” a girl’s voice remarked from the shadows of the alley. “Wonder what would happen if the Azure Hawks got notice that your little band was intruding on their territory without paying their fees? Do you think they’d be stopped by the police force?”

The leader, stunned by the sudden appearance, looked for where the voice was coming from. “Why don’t you come out here and see you--” But he was interrupted as he was then shocked by Sakura, slumping to the ground in a heap alongside the other gang members.

“That’s for ruining my favorite dress,” she muttered bitterly before removing her glove and stowing it away in her bag. Then she turned to the boys to see what would happen next.

“Yin, jeez, talk about timing,” Shan remarked as the girl stepped out from the shadows. He used the water he’d collected from the air to wash off the specks of mud from his body and deposited the muddy water onto the ground.

Yin was petite, with a short boyish haircut and dark brown hair, wearing plain, nondescript clothes that made her seem like nothing more than just a passerby. Her amber eyes were quite sharp as she narrowed them at Shan. “Please, Shan, you know I can’t leave you alone to badmouth me,” she remarked. “I should drop a hint to the Hawks now, I think… can’t have those idiots running around.”

Looking at the girl in slight awe, Sakura spoke, “You’re an airbender?” Her legs were shaking a bit at the sight, but she could recognize an airbender right away from how she handled the mud splatter.

“Ah… guess you can’t count on everyone being a thick-headed idiot like Shan over there,” Yin murmured, drawing an annoyed ‘hey!’ from the waterbender in question. “I prefer to keep it a secret, though, Sakura, so don’t tell anyone.” She smiled a little, though it wasn’t a very reassuring one.

Sakura nodded, replying, “Of course. But how do you know my name?” She looked over to Fai and asked, “And why did you come to help Shan and I? Are you some kind of secret crime-fighter like Detective Sokka?”

“You read those cheap detective novels?” asked Fai with a curious glance, “they were always a bit too cheesy for my tastes. I preferred the Kiyoshi Kingdom novels.”

Yin just shook her head. “Both of those series are mediocre at best,” she muttered. “One’s a half-baked attempt at writing a mystery with a famous name, and the second one takes so many liberties that calling it historical fiction hurts.” She paused. “And someone,” here she eyed Shan again, making the much taller bender back up slightly, “said your name quite loudly, Sakura. It’s not that hard to pick things up when you pay attention to the little things.”

At this, Sakura dipped her head in shame. She thought she had been more careful when confiding in Shan. And this girl was intimidating her, more so than some of her combat teachers she had back home. She looked to Shan with a pleading look, desperate for his help.

“Yin’s not gonna hurt you, right, Yin?” Shan practically demanded, turning around to give the petite airbender a look that was quite a warning. “If you were around, you overheard our conversation earlier with those ears of yours.”

“It’s not like there’s much in it for me right now,” Yin responded, arching a slight brow. “After all, it would interrupt so many of my other… operations to make that detour.” She shook her head. “Whatever it is, you’re safe.” Yin then looked over at Fai. “Thank you for your aid,” she said quite curtly, but with a polite undertone in her voice. “I appreciate you helping Shan over there.”

“It was no trouble,” said Fai, “it was the right thing to do, so I did it. Besides, I do not like what the Triads are doing to this city.” He finished as he clenched his stone fist hard enough that bits of dust fell from it.

Looking among the three, Sakura then asked, “Um… do any of you know anything about the Avatar? Like, where he is or anything?” She was folding her hands in front of her as if she was a nervous school girl presenting to a class.

“Eh?” Shan blinked at her. “That’s a weird question to ask all of a sudden. It’s not like it’s the Avatar’s job to dismantle the Triads, anyway.”

“No, that’s not why I’m asking,” Sakura reasoned. She then explained, “You see, I… um… well…” She was struggling to find the words to convey what she wanted, each option failing to leave her mouth, and making her tongue-tied.

“We can’t always rely on the Avatar to make everything right,” said Fai, “sometimes one must focus on what we can do with our own two hands. Relying on those in power to make the world work can lead to mistakes being made because they cannot control all that they are given without help.”

Yin made a sound of exasperation as Fai finished his statement, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Let the girl talk, for goodness sake. We don’t even know what she wants and you’re already rattling off a whole monologue,” she chastised. She eyed Sakura. “If you want help, you need to spit it out, you know. We’re not mind readers.”

Sakura seemed to withdraw into herself at Yin’s tone, making unintelligible sounds as she tried to make her request known. But with these faces, people she had no idea about who they were beyond what they said, it frightened her. She felt so out of place. When it was just Shan, she was okay because it was just one guy. Now she had three people eying her, and she couldn’t get her words out.

Shan seemed to realize this, and he smacked Yin lightly on the back of her head, making the petite girl yelp and turn around, giving him a look that screamed ‘how dare you?!’ “Now look at what you’ve gone and done. You’ve scared the poor girl,” he remarked at Yin, who just glowered at him without a word.

Fai sighed, “I apologize for my earlier words. Perhaps we could use a change in venue? I know a nice tea shop near here. I’m buying.”

At hearing his offer, Sakura protested, “Wait, I can pay for us. I have money. Let me pay all of you for saving me.” She then pulled out one wad of yuan, and presented it to the three to show she meant what she said. “Anything you all want, I will afford it.” she told them, determined.

“Are you sure?” Shan scratched his head, perplexed at the offer. “That’s really generous of you, Sakura, but--”

Yin cut him off, swatting his arm quite abruptly without even looking at him. “Sounds like a good idea. And it would be smart to get out of here before more of their little gang’s members come looking for them,” she added, looking in the direction of the trio of downed gangsters. She nodded towards Fai. “Please, lead the way.”

“Follow me,” said Fai before heading into the city, leading them to a nicer part of town where a small shop sat somewhat inconspicuously. It was a homey place and had a sign featuring a phoenix and the words, “Grand Phoenix Teashop. “This is the place,” said Fai, “Best tea in this part of town.”

Looking up at the shop, Sakura muttered aloud, “I’ve never been to any place like this before. I didn’t know they made tea in places like this.”

Yin was eyeing the place, but said nothing, though the look in her eyes was quite analytical, like she was examining it quite intently. 

Shan gave her a look from behind her, and the waterbender gently rapped the top of her head, leaning in and muttering something that made the girl back off a little, schooling her features into a less intense expression. 

Once she was done gazing at the shop, Sakura looked to Fai and asked, “So what do we do now? Should we go in, or will they come to us?”

“We go in,” said Fai as he opened the door, revealing a place styled with traditional Fire Nation decor. Picking out a table with enough seats for all of them, he manipulated several stones from his arm to pull out chairs for the others, “Do you have any preferences? They have a good Rosehip blend.”

Sitting down opposite Fai, Sakura replied, “Well, I have been more preferential to Jasmine. I mean, that was one favored by Fire Lord Zuko, wasn’t it? I’ve heard some tales saying Jasmine was a preference for him, and I personally like it.”

“I’m not much of a tea person.” Shan shrugged. “I’m not picky. Besides, Sakura, you’re paying, so you get to choose,” he told her as he took a seat next to Fai, leaving Yin to sit next to Sakura.

Fai pushed their chairs in and returned the stones to his artificial arm and flagged down a waiter to place their orders. Once done, he glanced at Sakura, “Feel free to relax, miss.”

Looking to him, Sakura returned, “Just call me Sakura, Mr. Fai. Calling me miss doesn’t feel right.” She then looked around the shop, marveling at the aesthetic and the people milling around them. “Does everyone come to places like this? It feels so… heh, I don’t really know how to describe how this feels. It’s just so eye-opening.”

Shan looked laid back, despite how his appearance was completely at odds with the clean and neatly-taken care of surroundings of the tea shop. “Is that how it feels like to you?” he asked with a small smile. “It just feels really…” he wrinkled his nose, “... posh to me.”

“Anywhere that’s not on the street feels posh to you, Shan,” Yin replied. Though she looked equally out of place, in a way, with her dressed-down, plain and unassuming appearance.

“But isn’t this someplace you guys always come to?” Sakura inquired of her acquaintances. “I thought normal people in Republic City went to shops and restaurants regularly.” Her face becoming downcast, she added under breath, “I know my mother did with me back home. Almost every night.”

“For him, perhaps,” Yin said, nodding over at Fai. “But Shan… isn’t exactly welcome in polite company sometimes.” She pursed her lips together. “And it’s too dangerous for some of us to be out in the open like this.”

“I do a fair amount of traveling,” put in Fai, “but I have a weakness for good tea, and thus try to find good tea shops as I travel from place to place. Nonetheless, it is fairly common for people to eat out, unless they are skilled chefs.”

Sakura took in this information, and looked around. She spotted a small family with their daughter. 

The father was helping convince the girl to try her tea, and she beamed once she had. The mother lightly admonished the father, but they all seemed so happy. 

The sight of it dampened Sakura’s mood a little. Her eyes lingered on the man, and oh how she wished for her life to have been different.

A hand gently patted Sakura’s, and Shan gave her a small smile that looked as though he was trying to be reassuring. Still, he said nothing, and quickly pulled back as soon as she noticed, seemingly trying to keep it as inconspicuous as possible.

Sakura was aware of the gesture, and smiled at Shan for it. She really appreciated his efforts, and hoped he could help her in her mission. But then she became aware once their tea arrived. She took a sniff of hers, and found it just as heavenly as the ones she had back home. “This is so good,” she said in awe as she took a sip.

“It’s… really flowery,” Shan said awkwardly, causing Yin to sigh quietly.

“Of course it is, Shan, it’s jasmine tea,” she chided. “Now don’t burn yourself.” Yin waited a little for her tea to cool down before she took a small sip. “You have good taste in tea, Sakura,” she said softly, her fingers drumming rhythmically on the surface of the table.

Sakura gave a shy smile to Yin, replying, “Th-Thank you. It’s my favorite.”

Yin smiled, just a slight upwards twitch of the corners of her lips. “And you have excellent choices in tea shops, Fai.” She took another sip of tea and quite gently put her cup down.

“I’ve always liked tea ever since visiting the Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing Se,” said Fai, “easily the best tea shop in the entire city and kept in pristine condition as per the request of former Fire Lord Zuko.”

Growing curious, Sakura inquired, “Really? There is a place called that in Ba Sing Se?”

“Indeed,” said Fai, “the former Fire Lord’s own Uncle, General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, was the founder and original owner.”

Looking up to him, Sakura asked, “Why was he called the ‘Dragon of the West’? I thought dragons were extinct during the 100 Year War.”

“A bit of a long story,” said Fai, “involving his reputation during the war as a skilled Firebender and the fate of the last two dragons.”

“Fate of the last two dragons?” Sakura questioned. But she didn’t say more on the matter. The way Fai sounded, it didn’t seem pleasant. So she didn’t bother asking for more info. What she had heard was enough for her.

“As I said,” said Fai, “a bit of a long story.”

“I can tell,” Sakura replied, looking into her cup. “I’m sorry Fai.”

“Why are you apologizing?” asked Fai, “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, but--” Sakura couldn’t finish her sentence. She felt like she had stepped into something personal, and she wanted to leave well enough alone on the subject.

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” said Fai again, “it’s just a story that takes a bit of time to tell, and our tea would be cold when I finished.”

“It’s not like we have anywhere to be,” Shan remarked, then he paused, glancing over to Sakura. “You’re not in a hurry, are you?”

“Well, not necessarily,” Sakura admitted. “But, I do want to get out of the city and go look for the Avatar.”

“Hm.” Yin glanced over at Sakura again, her amber gaze analytical, but not intensely so. It was like the airbender was trying to read Sakura’s mind, as unlikely as that was. “That’s right, you never said why you were looking for the Avatar.”

Sakura looked away, replying, “N-No reason. Just, I was hoping to ask for his help on something important.”

“How intriguing,” Yin remarked idly, sipping at her tea. However, the other girl didn’t dig any further, seeming to accept what she had said as truth. Yin had shifted to look outside. The table they had seated themselves at was somewhat blocked from a direct exit, but Yin had taken the seat that was directly within view of the door. She took once glance outside and then immediately looked back inside. “Shan, lean back in your seat.”

Shan obliged immediately, the waterbender sitting back as he gave her a questioning look. “What’s up?”

“Fenfang Corps employees.”

Fenfang Corps, to put it succinctly, was quite a large corporation that had been started in the Fire Nation by a merchant couple many years ago. It was far from rivalling Sato Industries in terms of scale, but it was quickly expanding, and branches had begun to be opened in the other areas of the world. Just recently, a branch had been opened somewhere in Republic City, causing some rumors that they were trying to compete with Sato Industries in the area.

“Hmm,” said Fai as he glanced up, “I wonder what they’re doing here?”

“Oh, I have an idea,” Shan murmured. “Sakura, if you’re being hunted or something, keep your face out of sight of the entrance. I think I know why they’re here, but better safe than sorry.”

Sakura nearly looked up to see what Shan meant, but dipped her head just to be on the safe side. “What’s going on?” she asked him. “Is it the police?”

“No, but they’ll certainly turn any criminals they catch in,” Shan responded. “Yin, can I trust you to not screw these two over?”

Yin scoffed quietly. “Fine, just because you asked. They looked like they were heading north.”

“Gotcha, thanks.” Shan stood up from the table. “Sorry, I gotta go. Things to take care of and what not.” He gave Sakura a small smile. “Good luck, Sakura.” With that, he cautiously looked out the door before heading out.

Sakura looked at him leave, feeling a dreaded weight in her stomach. She looked to Yin for assurance at what he was doing.

“He’ll be fine,” Yin said quietly, a certain tension in her voice that was easy to pick out. “Don’t worry -- Shan can take care of himself. He’s done so for long enough.” Her amber eyes were quite hard. “And if he’s in trouble, he’s got help to call on. Here’s hoping they’re up to what I think they are.”

“Who’s they though?” Sakura inquired quietly as she sipped more of her tea.

Yin smiled thinly, taking a sip of her tea. “They don’t have a name that we know of… not yet, but Shan’s friends call them the Neo-Equalists.”

Sakura’s face turned grim at the name. “Not those non-benders who want to rid the world of bending?” she said with a scowl.

“Yes, though perhaps, a better name for them would be ‘Separationists’ instead.” Yin nodded curtly. “Consider this a courtesy on my end -- Shan has likely entangled you two up in this matter as well now, from the tangle with that gang earlier.”

Nearly choking on her tea, Sakura asked fervently, “That can’t be true, can it? Shan wouldn’t do something so cruel, would he?”

“It’s not intentional,” Yin said, shaking her head. “And he’s not involved in the way you think he is. He’s on the opposite end of this fight, but they don’t know what he might have told you.”

“I don’t pretend to understand all of this,” said Fai, “but perhaps this is not the best venue to discuss these things?”

Sakura looked back into her near-empty cup. She was starting to develop doubts about Shan now. And just when she thought she had found someone who could honestly help her. At this rate, she didn’t know if she would ever get out of Republic City and away from her mother.

“You’re right,” Yin acknowledged to Fai. “This is perhaps the worst possible location. We should get out of here quickly, so follow me -- I know a quick path to get as much distance between us and them as possible in the shortest time.” She finished her cup of tea and stood up.

Sakura set the yuan to pay for their tea on the table before following Yin out. But once they left the building, feeling more in doubt than ever, she dashed away from the two and hurried on her original path to the border.

The girl wouldn’t have gone far, though, when a loud crash was heard not too far away from where she’d begun to flee from. In fact, it had come from the opposite direction of where Yin had attempted to lead her and Fai from, which meant only a few possibilities. 

And one of them was that Shan had done something to create that chaos.

Sakura stopped in her tracks at the sound of the commotion, looking around for the source. “Wh-What is that?” she exclaimed in surprise.

In the distance, a large column of smoke and steam was billowing upwards into the sky, and from the origin point, someone was making their way up to the rooftops and trying to dart away, which was carrying them -- Shan -- towards _her direction_. Shan nimbly leapt across the rooftops, pursued closely by several uniformed men and women along the ground.

“Sh-Shan?!” Sakura gasped. But then the uniformed people caught her attention, and she started to flee back towards Yin and Fai. She recognized that garb: the black and dark-green clothes, the covered heads with goggles for the eyes, and even those without. Despite the times, these were the foot soldiers of the Neo Equalist movement, modelled after the original led by Amon, or Noatok.

“What are you still doing here?!” Shan exclaimed as he jumped down just a scant few meters from her. “I thought Yin was going to get you guys out here!” Condensing water from the air, he lashed out at the group of Neo-Equalist goons, striking at their feet to keep them off-balance so Sakura could flee unimpeded.

“Bu-But--” Sakura tried to say. But she was too flustered to make anything coherent. She looked to the other two, wondering what they would do.

Yin had left where she and Fai had initially been heading, charging towards Shan to help him. From behind the Neo-Equalist group, she subtly blasted a strong arc of wind towards them, hitting them square in the back of the knees. The strike toppled many of them, and the momentary distraction allowed Shan to dart back with a call of thanks. 

“Get them to Rashid!” Shan yelled. “I’ll keep them off your track!”

Yin nodded, and she reached out to grab Sakura by the wrist, pulling her towards Fai. “Come on!” she ordered.

Fai quickly stepped forward as the other two ran past him and used his bending to raise a wall of Earth and send it speeding towards the ones targeting them, pushing them back as the others escaped.

“Shan can hold his own!” Yin called as she pulled Sakura past Fai. “Hurry, come with me!”

Sakura stumbled as Yin pulled her, and she chanced a glance back towards Shan fending off the Neo Equalists. What did she get herself into?

A few minutes later saw the group of three hiding in the vast sewer systems under Republic City. They were a maze of metal tunnels that composed a complex network to transport the city’s waste, and few people, benders or not, ever traversed the area, which made it perfect for a hideout.

A loud metal clang of a heavy metal manhole cover falling into place rang in the tunnels from where Fai, Sakura, and Yin were standing, their surroundings illuminated by a handy flashlight that Yin had on her person, and some footsteps echoed down the pathway. 

Before long, someone could be seen coming towards them, and even in the darkness, it was easy to make out that it was Shan. When he got close enough, he spoke up, keeping his voice relatively soft, asking, “Is everyone alright?”

“I am unharmed,” said Fai as he placed his organic hand on the stone wall, feeling the vibrations through the tunnel, “and it seems we have successfully escaped.” 

“I’m okay,” Sakura replied. “But what was that all about Shan? Why were you chased by those Neo-Equalist goons?”

“That… uh, well, it’s a long story,” Shan said lamely with a grimace. “Long story short, I’m in sort of a vigilante anti-terrorist group.” He waved his hands in the air, partially to show that he didn’t mean any harm. “I sort of blew up something they were carrying -- I think they were supplies or something -- that the Corps were going to hand off to the Neo-Equalists. So they… decided to chase me. And now you guys are involved too.”

“Wait, the Corps?” Sakura questioned. “Why are they supplying these terrorists?”

“The heads of the organization,” Yin replied in Shan’s stead, frustratedly running a hand through her cropped dark brown hair. “Ren and Nami Fang. If you’ve got an inside link, you’d know all about their anti-bender, anti-spirit and anti-Avatar propaganda.”

Sakura failed to reply, not quite aware of the propaganda. She had thought the Neo-Equalists were simply like the old one in trying to get rid of benders. She had heard about them also having grievances with spirits in Republic City. But even the Avatar? That was new even for her.

Shan exhaled forcefully, folding his arms over his chest. “Long story short, they’re helping the Neo-Equalists, and I’ve been helping out where I can in trying to stop them. Unfortunately, … Because of that fight earlier, word will get out pretty quick through the triads and gangs that you’re somehow affiliated with me, and you’re going to get targeted as well.”

Perturbed by this, Sakura demanded, “Why are we being affiliated with all of this?! We didn’t even fight those goons getting here.”

“It’s not the fight with the Fenfang Corps employees that will get you in trouble,” Yin corrected, her voice sharp and showing that the girl wasn’t going to tolerate any interruptions while she was talking. “But the fight before that. That trio was connected to an informant cell that spreads information through Republic City’s gangs for the appropriate prices. They don’t know what level of involvement you have with Shan before today and there’s no telling what he could have told you two about them.”

“Exactly what level of danger are we in?” asked Fai with a frown, “If things are really as bad as you make it sound, shouldn’t we leave town? Promptly?”

“It would help if we knew what you destroyed, Shan,” Yin said, turning back to the waterbender of the odd quartet, pinning him with a hard look that held a decent amount of concern behind them.

Shan grimaced a little, scratching the back of his head. “Okay, okay, I don’t know for sure, but between what I was told and what I overheard from the Corps employees,” he confided in a low, wary tone, “it was supplies for an operation to capture and execute a spirit.”

“Truly?” asked Fai, “Spirits are notoriously elusive and often powerful. How would one, even one so obsessed as them, capture and contain one?”

“I’m with Fai on that one,” Sakura voiced. “Heck, spirit energy alone is volatile. One only needs to look back on the supposed ‘Great Uniter’ Kuvira to understand the implications of using spirit energy in such a volatile manner.”

Shan just shrugged a bit helplessly on that one. “I don’t know. I’m just here to take action and dismantle the thing before it gets out of hand. I don’t deal well with the technical side of things. Yin would probably know better.”

Said girl just shook her head. “I haven’t received any news. I think this was supposed to be quite hush-hush, even my leads on the inside haven’t been able to tell me anything. Still, that means whatever it was, it places you, and anyone affiliated with you, quite high on the mark list.”

“Seriously?” said Fai, “We’re already on their watchlist? We barely did anything!”

“So you’re saying we have no choice but to leave Republic City?” Sakura assumed. Then she muttered under her breath, “Well, that actually works out wonders for my side of things.”

“It’s inconvenient and I’m sorry,” Shan apologized with a grimace. “But I’ll try and ask a friend of mine to organize things so that you guys can get out of the city as fast as possible, and as safely as possible.”

“Well,” said Fai, “it’s a good thing I haven’t unpacked yet. Will I have time to stop by my apartment? I think I left some of my Pai Sho tiles there.”

“I have everything I need,” Sakura informed. “So leaving right away isn’t an issue for me.”

“I’m sorry guys,” Shan apologized again, bowing his head, guilt written all over his features. Clearly, he hadn’t meant for things to go as they had. “I wish things had gone differently, but I can’t change what’s already happened. The best I can do now is make sure you’re all safe until further notice.”

Sakura smiled up at him, and replied, “Well, nothing for it I suppose. It’s not too much of a bother since I was leaving Republic City anyway.”

“I was planning on leaving sooner or later,” sighed Fai, “never stayed in one place for too long.”

Shan’s face twisted into a guilty expression again, and the waterbender averted his gaze with a grimace. “Sorry again, guys.” Anxiously, he looked around, anywhere but where Yin’s flashlight was illuminating, as if he didn’t want to meet their eyes. “Yin, do you have your Mobi-Com with you?”

“It’s dying, but I can get into contact with Rashid if we need it,” the addressed girl replied with a slow exhale. “Do you want me to let him know we’ll be out of town?”

“Please do.” Shan nodded. “We need a quick way to get out and if anyone can do it, he can.”

“Shall we use the eastern border to slip into the Earth Democracy wildlands?” Sakura inquired. “If need be, we can try to find solace in a village, or even Ba Sing Se if we’re lucky enough. Although, I heard Ba Sing Se has been rather unstable in terms of power with all that political debate going on over the presidency there.”

“A small village might be best if we seek to avoid attention,” said Fai, “while their influence has waned, the Dai Li still are a presence in Ba Sing Se, and would sell us out if they felt it suited the interests of the city.”

Yin hummed thoughtfully, and Shan looked back to her. “We have a few options in that case,” she said firmly. “One, we can stay near the border of the Earth Democracy in the event that we need to flee again, but risk the Neo-Equalists having insiders with border control. Two, we can go closer into the heart of the Earth Democracy and hope that we will be fine in places with more people. Either way, it’s a risk that we must gamble on.”

“I would recommend that we stay within the Earth Democracy,” said Fai, “I know some people and can reach out to them and call in a few favors to get food and supplies at the very least.”

“Then do we have our course of action?” Sakura inquired of the group. 

Shan nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Yin, you go and get our ticket out of here,” he instructed. “I’ll have to go and collect some supplies scattered around the hideouts here before we go.”

“On it.” Yin stepped away from the group, presumably to make the call in private.

Sakura looked up to the ceiling, envisioning the city she had once spent much of her life in. She would miss its hustle and bustle, not to mention her life here. But when she thought about that, she scowled and tossed her head down in disgust. It was gonna be better this way.

“Does something trouble you?” asked Fai as he glanced at Sakura, “You seem distressed. I know having to leave like this can be hard, but it is the best choice given the circumstances.”

“It’s nothing Mister Fai,” Sakura replied. “Just thinking about how I’ll miss the home I grew up in.”

“I’m sure we will return one day,” said Fai, “this departure isn’t forever, and we can return once our enemies are dealt with.”

To that, Sakura told him, “I’m not sure I even want to come back once things quiet down. If anything, I’d rather leave this city behind. There’s nothing good for me here.”

“If that is how you feel,” said Fai, “perhaps for now we should focus on what we do moving forward. There are several towns and settlements near here, but we need to pick the best one for our escape.”

Yin stepped back towards them. “I have a map of the Earth Democracy downloaded on my Com,” she informed briskly. “We’ll have to decide fast, though. The power is dying quickly.” With a few quick taps, she brought up an image on the screen of the compact digital device, depicting a series of small towns along the border. “Fai. You seem to know the area best. Amongst these five, which would be the best?” She indicated five of the settlements and town markings.

Fai looked over the map before selecting one of the settlements, “I believe we can find what we need here. The people here get many visitors passing through, so a few more won’t raise any eyebrows.”

“Good,” Shan said with an approving nod. “Then that’s where we’ll go once we get an indication that the coast is all clear. Any objections?”

“I have none thus far,” Sakura voiced out for them.

“I am fine as well,” said Fai.

“Alright then, I think we have a plan,” Shan concluded. “Fai, you should go and get your stuff. Then, once we get our confirmation that the coast is clear, we’ll get out of here. Simple as that.”

Fai nodded and knocked his fist against the wall of the tunnel, opening a passage in the rock via earthbending, “Where shall we meet up?”

“You know the eastern customs checkpoint to Republic City? There’s an apartment complex a few blocks away. We can meet at the entrance of the building numbered 105,” Yin instructed after a moment of thought.

Shan nodded in agreement. The buildings over there were older, a remnant of the time before Avatar Korra had passed on. It also meant that it was a bit seedier than the shiny new apartments nearer to the center of the city, but it would work fine for them.

Sakura followed behind the earthbender, keeping an eye out for anyone that wanted to give them trouble. But she still could hardly believe she would soon be leaving this place behind.

“I shall see you there then,” said Fai as he walked into the tunnel he made and bent the entrance shut.

Looking back as Fai closed off the path, Sakura questioned, “Wait! What about them? They’re coming with us, aren’t they?”

“...Right,” said Fai as he stomped and the passage opened, “gonna have to get used to traveling in a group.”

“Don’t worry about it, guys,” Shan called. “We’ll meet you guys there. We’ve got things to wrap up ourselves.”

Sakura appeared to want to protest, but she held back considering Shan was the one assuring them. So she looked to Fai for what to do next.

“We should move,” said Fai, “they’ll be out looking for us, and it’s only a matter of time before they decide to try and trap us by watching the city exits.”

With that, both parties split up and proceeded down their individual paths. And while their pursuers sought them above, they took refuge in the lands below. Little did they know that this flight from the city would spark an adventure that would change their lives.


End file.
